“I won’t have you—”
“Maybe you even discussed your dilemma with her and Mrs. Wallace.”
“This is defamation of—”
“Or maybe Stacey was the one to suggest the terms of the deal.”
“Stacey never knew anything about it!”
He shot out of his chair and stood nose to nose with Alex, shouting the words in her face. When he realized what he’d admitted, he blinked, wet his lips, then eased away from her and turned his back. Nervously, he ran his fingers over the row of brass studs on the back of his leather chair. It had been a gift from his daughter, his only child.
“You knew how much Stacey loved Junior Minton.”
“Yes,” he said softly. “I knew that she loved him more than he deserved.”
“And that her affection wasn’t returned.”
“Yes.”
“And that Junior slept with her whenever he felt like it. You thought you had better protect her reputation and the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy by getting her married as soon as possible.”
The judge’s shoulders slumped forward and he answered in a low, heartbroken voice. “Yes.”
Alex closed her eyes and let go a long, silent breath. Tension ebbed from her like a wave receding from the shore. “Judge Wallace, who killed my mother? Who was Angus protecting when he asked you to hustle Buddy Hicks through the legal system?”
He faced her. “I don’t know. As God is my witness, I don’t. I swear it on my years as a judge.”
She believed him and said so. As unobtrusively as possible, she collected her things. When she reached the door of his office, he spoke her name in a thin voice.
“Yes?”
“If this ever comes to trial, will it be essential to your case for all this to come out in court?”
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry.”
“Stacey…” He paused to clear his throat. “I wasn’t lying when I said she didn’t know about my agreement with Angus.”
Alex repeated, “I’m sorry.”
He nodded gravely. She stepped into the anteroom and closed the door behind her. The secretary shot her a resentful look, which wasn’t entirely undeserved. She had badgered him into telling the truth. It had been necessary, but she hadn’t enjoyed doing it.
She was waiting for the elevator when she heard the gunshot. “Oh, God, no.” She whispered the words, but wasn’t even aware of saying them as she dropped her briefcase and raced back toward the end of the corridor. Mrs. Lipscomb was at the door to his office. Alex shoved her aside and ran in ahead of her.
What she saw brought her to an abrupt halt. Her scream froze in her throat, but the secretary’s echoed through the chamber and into the hallways.
Chapter 41
A stream of secretaries, bailiffs, and other courthouse employees had gathered at the door of Judge Wallace’s chambers within sixty seconds of the gunshot.
Reede, the first person to make it upstairs from the basement, shouldered his way through them, barking orders to the deputies who had followed him. “Clear everybody out!”
He instructed one to call an ambulance and another to cordon off the hallway. He placed a comforting arm around Mrs. Lipscomb, who was weeping hysterically, and commissioned Imogene, Pat Chastain’s secretary, to take her away. He then bore down on Alex.
“Go to my office, lock yourself in, and stay there, understand?” She stared back at him blankly. “Understand?” he repeated loudly, giving her a shake. Still incapable of speech, she nodded.
To another deputy, he said, “See that she gets to my office. Don’t let anybody in.”
The officer led her away. Before she left the judge’s chambers, she saw Reede look toward the grisly sight at the desk. He ran his hand through his hair and muttered, “Shit.”